PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[El Duderino]

New art installation at Festival Pier looking goooooooood:

https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/n...ail-updates-at-rapidly-rising-rivermark/

[tsarstruck]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

reminds me a bit of US Embassy in London
[/url]London Embassy

Neat comp, with very different purposes (security vs. shading). I lobby that this and other Philly buildings should take a page from the London US Embassy and incorporate moats. Also drawbridges. Also portcullises.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by El Duderino

New art installation at Festival Pier looking goooooooood:

https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/n...ail-updates-at-rapidly-rising-rivermark/

I would like to see the south façade.
Not a fan of this project, mostly because the scale could have been grander considering the METRO station up the street.
Hell, the new buildings on 2nd Street are towers. Why not the waterfront?

[Londonee]

Any movement on the Penn's Landing cap park?

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Any movement on the Penn's Landing cap park?

Delayed as a result of the I-95 collapse.

[Raja]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

Sorry. I was talking about the one on 2nd St. I always forget there are two wawas & also two different “South Sts”

Its also disappointing covid absolutely wrecked store hours. We used to have plenty of 24 hour & late night stores & food choice’s , now every option except for a few are gone.

Even grocery stores & walmarts are starting to close an hour earlier now.

Thats one thing that im pissed about from covid is the loss if 24 hour businesses.

Just confirmed, Tony, that the headhouse wawa is closing in mid July. And the Giant/Heirloom market project is officially dead too. Ugh.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Delayed as a result of the I-95 collapse.

Is that section more congested as a result?

Originally Posted by Raja

Just confirmed, Tony, that the headhouse wawa is closing in mid July. And the Giant/Heirloom market project is officially dead too. Ugh.

Stinks about Heirloom, that would have been a great new amenity for the neighborhood. Did that Wawa have issues with theft?

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Is that section more congested as a result?

No, congestion isn't an issue till you get around the Allegheny & Bridge St Exits right now.

I assume they delayed it because they need all hands on deck for this rebuild as well as not putting 95 under more construction while it has major damage right now.

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Raja

Just confirmed, Tony, that the headhouse wawa is closing in mid July. And the Giant/Heirloom market project is officially dead too. Ugh.

Im just so lost on how the Wawas in some of the up & up areas are closing, I get theft is an issue but are you seriously telling me there's more theft going on in these Wawas then purchasing?

Every single Wawa is always busy, so to just shut them down is a bad excuse for me.

They couldn't even hire real security or more police in certain Wawas, instead they rather shut them down, thats an insane way to run a business.

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

Im just so lost on how the Wawas in some of the up & up areas are closing, I get theft is an issue but are you seriously telling me there's more theft going on in these Wawas then purchasing?.

For this one, I'm gonna be honest with you, I never knew this one existed. It's more of a neighborhood location, not really a high foot traffic central location, compared to center city. From the pictures, it looks a little out-dated too. This one is likely just a regular low performing location. Maybe they'll open a newer spot somewhere.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

They couldn't even hire real security or more police in certain Wawas, instead they rather shut them down, thats an insane way to run a business.

No it's not. Insurance can go way up and outside of the loss from theft one incident where someone gets seriously injured or killed can cost your company millions and any negative publicity can have a lasting effect.

*I am not commenting on this specific store's situation and generally speaking.

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

No it's not. Insurance can go way up and outside of the loss from theft one incident where someone gets seriously injured or killed can cost your company millions and any negative publicity can have a lasting effect.

*I am not commenting on this specific store's situation and generally speaking.

Thats why all the Walmarts, Targets, Home Depots, Lowes & other chain stores closed right?

No they just wanted to be cheap majority of chain stores in the city & elsewhere have real security or police that prevent theft, not an hourly "Allied security" guard that sits on their phone for half the time.

Even Most McDonald's in the city now have armed security.

So, Yes I think Wawa took the easy way out because they were being cheap, and just rather shutter stores then pay a little extra.

[Gatorade_Jim]

Don’t want to derail the convo but I have some updates from the neighborhood meeting.

- Clarke is currently against the 76ers arena. Says it won’t get a vote on his watch but says next mayor has to make that decision ultimately. His primary problem is traffic and he thinks it’s too heavy on public transit. Got a laugh out of that.

- Calder Museum is a go. Clarke was very hyped on this.

- African American Museum is coming to the Parkway. They may be building a museum very similar to what they have in DC. Seems like it’ll be interesting if that happens.

Didn’t get a chance to ask about the parkway redesign. I’ll do that next month.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

Thats why all the Walmarts, Targets, Home Depots, Lowes & other chain stores closed right?

No they just wanted to be cheap majority of chain stores in the city & elsewhere have real security or police that prevent theft, not an hourly "Allied security" guard that sits on their phone for half the time.

Even Most McDonald's in the city now have armed security.

So, Yes I think Wawa took the easy way out because they were being cheap, and just rather shutter stores then pay a little extra.

Yes that is why in most cases. Armed security does not create less of an insurance/liability issue and costs go up with them present. And most McDonald's restaurants are franchises so there are some liberties that the owners may be taking.

If a store is profitable it will be open. WaWa and other companies have a lot to gain by being in a downtown environment (especially Philly's with its high residential and tourist population) so if they are closing up shop it's usually an indication of what may be going on.

[arkitect13]

Slightly off topic but i have a few things I haven't seen much on lately

Im aware this project is full steam ahead but I haven't seen any construction updates is anything actually moving? https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/n...ject-well-under-way-under-new-ownership/

I also saw something about the new bridge over 95? Wasnt directly connected to the cap but it I think sprung off south street and went over the the parking lot to connect with the trail?
And speaking of the cap, do we know how long it will be delayed? Id assume until construction on the bridge is finished, but why do they expect it to take months when Atlanta rebuild there's in 43 days? Seems a little odd to me but I'm not complaining

[summersm343]

No clue about Wawa and what’s going on. I feel like we go through this every so many years. It was maybe 8-10 years ago that we were lamenting Wawa closing a bunch of their Center City stores, then out of nowhere they started opening a bunch more.

Wawa has a love-hate relationship with the city it seems. There was also rumor a little while ago that Wawa was planning on closing all or most of their stores without gas stations. There’s NO WAY you can tell me this one in Society Hill has more crime than some of the ones in the Northeast. I mean… come on! There’s always people in that Wawa and hardly any sketchy characters outside of this one.

Oh well… is what it is. Most of Center City is roaring back to life. New businesses popping up everywhere. South Street in general East of Broad just needs to find some new life in my opinion.

[reparcsyks]

Originally Posted by Gatorade_Jim

Don’t want to derail the convo but I have some updates from the neighborhood meeting.

- Clarke is currently against the 76ers arena. Says it won’t get a vote on his watch but says next mayor has to make that decision ultimately. His primary problem is traffic and he thinks it’s too heavy on public transit. Got a laugh out of that.

- Calder Museum is a go. Clarke was very hyped on this.

- African American Museum is coming to the Parkway. They may be building a museum very similar to what they have in DC. Seems like it’ll be interesting if that happens.

Didn’t get a chance to ask about the parkway redesign. I’ll do that next month.

AA Museum to the Parkway is great - even better if it gets a signature building. The current location and building are lackluster, at best.

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by summersm343

No clue about Wawa and what’s going on. I feel like we go through this every so many years. It was maybe 8-10 years ago that we were lamenting Wawa closing a bunch of their Center City stores, then out of nowhere they started opening a bunch more.

Wawa has a love-hate relationship with the city it seems. There was also rumor a little while ago that Wawa was planning on closing all or most of their stores without gas stations. There’s NO WAY you can tell me this one in Society Hill has more crime than some of the ones in the Northeast. I mean… come on! There’s always people in that Wawa and hardly any sketchy characters outside of this one.

Oh well… is what it is. Most of Center City is roaring back to life. New businesses popping up everywhere. South Street in general East of Broad just needs to find some new life in my opinion.

Thats my point, the head house Wawa, The Broad St Wawa & both of the Market St Wawas should have never closed, if the problems were that bad hire REAL security or turn it into a limited hour pickup window Wawa like the one at 16th & Chestnut, no point of losing all that money and laying workers off because you want to be a lazy business, adapt to the times.

There has also only be one big box store that has closed, and it was the Target on Chestnut st across from the Jefferson project, which most likely closed because of the condition of Chestnut st at that time.

Other than that we have multiple targets in Center City.

Like you said tho Wawa will be back, they haven't completely left yet.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by reparcsyks

AA Museum to the Parkway is great - even better if it gets a signature building. The current location and building are lackluster, at best.

I thought it had already been announced some months ago for part of the Family Court building. Yes, it was, last August: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelph...lding-philadelphia-parkway-20220811.html

City officials announced Thursday that the museum will move into the 1801 Vine St. property after it is revamped.

“We’re excited that it will be where it belongs on the Parkway, where literally tens, hundreds of thousands of people traverse on a[n] … annual basis, every year,” said City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, a major proponent of the move. “Everybody knows where the park is, so it’s befitting that the African American Museum is here.”

Clarke said the museum will only need roughly 50,000 square feet of the building, so the remainder of the space’s reimagining remains to be seen. Four developers have been shortlisted to submit requests for proposals for the court, as well as an 88,000-square-foot lot at 1901 Wood St., which sits behind the Free Library.

And here’s the City’s press release from last August as well: https://www.phila.gov/2022-08-11-redevel...arkway-home-for-african-american-museum/

[Gatorade_Jim]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

I thought it had already been announced some months ago for part of the Family Court building. Yes, it was, last August: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelph...lding-philadelphia-parkway-20220811.html

City officials announced Thursday that the museum will move into the 1801 Vine St. property after it is revamped.

“We’re excited that it will be where it belongs on the Parkway, where literally tens, hundreds of thousands of people traverse on a[n] … annual basis, every year,” said City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, a major proponent of the move. “Everybody knows where the park is, so it’s befitting that the African American Museum is here.”

Clarke said the museum will only need roughly 50,000 square feet of the building, so the remainder of the space’s reimagining remains to be seen. Four developers have been shortlisted to submit requests for proposals for the court, as well as an 88,000-square-foot lot at 1901 Wood St., which sits behind the Free Library.

And here’s the City’s press release from last August as well: https://www.phila.gov/2022-08-11-redevel...arkway-home-for-african-american-museum/

That’s what I thought too but Clarke said they’re down to 3 finalists, 2 want to put it in the family court building and 1 wants to build a signature building for it like DC. Clarke was very big on the signature building option for what that’s worth